Snap on and off handle



March 12, 1957 w. o. HAwKlNs 2,784,995

SNAP ON AND OFF HANDLE Filed Dec. 19. 195,5 2 Smets-sheet 1 March 12, 1957 w. o. HAwKlNs 2,784,995

` SNAP oN AND oFF HANDLE Filed Dec. 19, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 4

IN V EN TOR.

ATTORNEY Vthe ibore. l with radial splines between the clip and the bottom of the The present invention relates to door handles, and more particularly to handles for the inside et vehicle doers and the like.

` It is conventional practice at present to connect vehicle inside door handles to the splined end of the latch releasing pivot pin by means of a clip or split spring ring which enters Ithe wall of the handle hub and is position-ed by .sp-ring means against the inner ends of the splines on the pin to -retain the handle in operating posi-tion on the pin. When necessary, the handle is removed from the pivot pin by withdrawing the clip from the handle hub. This works very weil while `the vehicle is comparatively new, but with the passing or time the pot metal, of which mos-t vehicle door handles are constructed, tends to corrode and freeze the clip until in some instances the same cannot be removed from the hulb to release the handle. The difficulty encountered in removing door handles materially adds to the cost of replacing broken door glass or other repairs by reason of the additional amount of time consumed. if the werkman was sure that the door handle could be removed and replaced easily and quickly, he could reduce the cost ot labor involved in repairing or replacing door parts.

It is therefore the principal object of this invention to provide a door handle assembly for the inside of vehicle doors from which the handle may be quickly and easily removed .or replaced.

Another object is to provide a door handle assembly of this class which, when once installed, remains in an operative position.

i An additional objee is to provide an assembly of this class from which the handle may be manually removed andreplaced without the use of tools.

' A further object is to provide a door handle assembly which may be used on the insideof the door of any A vehicle.

The present invention accomplishes these and other objects by provid-ing a housing having a chamber and `having a hole intersecting the chamber. The hole journals a pivot pin which projects beyond one side of the housing.

.LA latch releasing spring actuated pawl is rigidly connected to the pin within the chamber. The outwardly disposed end portion of the pivot pin is provided with parallel sides, with the distance between the parallel sides being less than the diameter of the pin. Radial splines are formed on the remaining circumferential arcs of the pin defining an annular recess on the remaining arcs between the splines and the housing. The diameter of the -splined end is greater than the distance between the parallel sides. A handle having a cylindrical base and having a hub with a bore therein for receiving the splined end of the pin `has its hub slotted on opposing sides for receiving an arcuately curved clip er split ring whichprojects inwardly on opposing sides of the wall of The ybore of the hub is further provided `bore `for cofoperative engagement with the. splines on the pin. The length of the splines on the pin and within the fldfi Patented Mar. l2, i957 -ltioning the clip against the inner ends ot the splines on the pin to maintain the handle in operative position for rotating the pin and pawl.

Other objects will be apparent from the following description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying two sheets of drawings, wherein:

Figure l is an elevational view of the handle assembly, per se, when installed on a vehicle door;

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional View of the handle assembly, illustrating the manner of installing or removing the handle;

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view of the handle assembly taken substantially along line 3 3 of Fig. 1;

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional View similar to Fig. 3, illustrating the handle in rotative position. relative to the pivot pin; and,

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the pivot pin, ser se.

Lilte characters of reference designa-te like parts in those iigures of the drawings in which they occur.

ln the drawings:

The reference numeral lil indicates the device, as a whole, comprising a housing l2 `formed .of two sections i4; and ld of sheet metal joined in face to face relation and formed to provide a chamber l therebetween. A pivot pin 2d is journaled by a hole through the housing intersecting the chamber. A latch releasing pawl 22 is rigidly connected to the pin within the chamber 18 for connecting with and releasing a door latch, not shown. A pawl spring 2d has its ends connected to the pay/122 and `tot one section la of the housing for returning the pawl to a stop 26 each time the pawl and pin are rota-ted to latch releasing position. `(lne end portion 26 of the pin extends beyond one side of the housing and is formed 'to provide a pair of opposing parallel sides 28 and 30. The distance between the sides 2d and 3@ is substantially less than the diameter of the pin Ztl. The remaining circumferential arcs of the end portion 26 are serrated or splined adjacent the end of the pin, as at 32, and are cut away between the splines and the housing to form an annular recess, as at 3d. The length of the splines 32 is preferably substantially less than the width of the recess 3st, for the reasons which will presently be apparent.

A handle 36, which may be any conventional vehicle door handle, preferably having a cylindrical base 3d and a hub all integral therewith, is adapted to engage and pivot the pin Ztl. The hub il@ is bored, as at 4l, a selected depth and preferably slightly larger diametrically than the pin Ztl for freely receiving the end portion 2d of the same. Esteriorly the wall of the hub ttl is provided with an annular slot d2 which penetrates through the wall at tW-o oppositely disposed points. A split spring ring or spring Y clip has arcuately curved portions adjacent its ends `which extend inwardly of the wall of the bore 41, as at 46. The spacing between the inwardly extending portions withthe splines 32 on the pin. Longitudinally the splines 43 are substantially equal with relation to the splines 32 on the pin and are substantially shorter than the width of `the recess 34 and are spaced from the bottom of the bore 41 a distance slightly greater than the length of the splines 32.

The handle 36 is engaged with the end portion 26 of 'the pin by manually positioning the handle so that the arcuate portions d6 of the clip are in alignment with the parallel sides 2% and 3G of the pin, as shown in Fig. 2, and by pushing the handle downward over the pin until the splines 4S within the hub are completely disposed within the recess 34 (Fig. 4) and the splines 32 are disposed adjacent the bottom of the bore 41. The handle 36 may then be turned in either direction thus positioning the arcuate portions 4d of the clip within the recess 34 and the handle raised until the splines 48 and 32 are meshed and the arcuate portions 46 of the clip are contacting the inward ends of the splines 32 which prevents the removal of the handle from the pin portion 26.

VMovement of the handle then rotates the pin and moves the pawl 22 to latch releasing position.

A helical expansion spring 50 is interposed between the housing 12 and the base 38 of the handle and urges the handle away from the housing, thus maintaining the portions 46 of the clip in contact with the inner ends of the splines 32.

Thus it seems obvious that the handle may be quickly installed on a pivot pin 20, as disclosed hereinabove, and thatthe handle may be equally easily removed by reversing the installation sequence. The helical spring 50 is compressed by manually depressing the handle base 38 each time the handle is removed or installed.

It seems equally obvious that conventional handle assemblies presently in use and similarly constructed may be converted to such a snap on and off type handle by modifying or replacing the pivot pin, such as disclosed hereinabove, and by removing a portion of the splines adjacent the inner end of the bore of the handle.

Obviously the invention is suspectible to some change or alteration without defeating7 its practicability, and I therefore do not wish to be confined to the preferred embodiment shown in the drawings and described herein, further than I am limited by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

l. In a handle for the inside of motor vehicle doors and the like, the combination of: a housing having a chamber therein and having a hole therethrough intersecting the chamber; a stop carried by said housing within said chamber adjacent the hole; a cylindrical pin journaled by the hole in said housing, one end of said pin projecting beyond one side of said housing, said one end of said pin having opposing parallel sides and having radial splines on the remainingcircumferential arcs adjacent the end thereof, said splines disposed at substantially right angle with relation to said parallel sides and. defining an annular recess between said splines and said housing; a handle having a cylindrical base and having a hub with a bore therein for receiving said one end of said pin, said hub having a pair of opposing slots through the wall thereof disposed perpendicularly with relation to the axis of the hub; a split spring ring carried by the slots of said hub and projecting into the bore thereof; radial splines carried lby the bore of said hub between said clip ring and the bottom of the bore for co-operatively engaging with the splined end of said pin and rotating the latter; a helical expansion spring ,seated against said housing and said base, whereby said pin is received by the bore of said handle when in one position by compressing said helical spring and passing the inwardly projecting portions of .said clip ring along the parallel sides of said pin positioning the splines of said hub within said recess, .thereby permitting said handle to be pivoted to another position on said pin and thereafter engaging said pin splines with said radial ,splines for rotating said pin and positioning the inwardly projecting portions of said clip ring in said recess and adjacent the splines on said pin for holding ars-1,995

said handle on said pin by the action of said helical spring; a latch releasing pawl rigidly connected to said pin within said chamber, said pawl having one end normally disposed against said stop; and a pawl spring connected to said pawl and said housing for returning .said pawl to said stop after being rotated to latch releasing position by the movement of said handle rotating said pin.

2. In a handle assembly for the inside of motor vehicles and the like, the combination of: a housing having a chamber therein and having a hole intersecting the chamber; a pin journaled by said hole, one end of said pin projecting beyond one side of said housing; a spring actuated latch releasing pawl rigidly connected to said pin within said chamber, said one end of said pin having opposing parallel ,sides and having radial splines on the remaining circumferential arcs adjacent the end thereof, said splines disposed substantially at right angle with relation to said parallel sides defining an annular recess between said splines and said housing; a handle having a cylindrical base and having a hub with a bore therein for receiving said one end of said pin, said hub having a pair of opposing slots through the wall thereof, disposed perpendicularly with relation to the axis of the hub; a clip ring carried by the slots of said hub and projecting into the bore thereof; radial splines carried by the bore of Said hub between said clip ring and the bottom of the bore for co-operatively engaging with the splined end of said pin and rotating the latter; and a helical expansion spring seated against said housing and said base, whereby said pin is received by the bore of said handle when in one position by compressing said helical spring and passing the inwardly disposed portions of said clip ring along the parallel sides of said pin and positioning the splines of said hub within said recess, thereby permitting said handle to be pivoted to another position on said pin and released for engaging said splines with said radial splines and positioning the inwardly disposed portions of said clip ring in said recess and adjacent the splines on said pin for holding said handle on said pin and rotating the same by movement of the handle.

3. In a snap on and off handle for the inside of motor vehicle doors and the like, the combination of: a housing having a chamber therein and having a hole intersecting the chamber; a pin journaled by said hole, one end of said pin projecting beyond one side of said housing and having parallel sides, said pin having radial splines on the remaining circumferential arcs adjacent the end thereof, said splines disposed substantially at right angle with relation to said parallel sides and dening an annular recess on the remaining arcs between said splines and said housing, the distance between said parallel sides being less than the diameter across said splines; latch releasing pawl means carried by said pin within said chamber; a handle having a cylindrical base and having a hub with a bore therein for receiving said one end of said pin; radial splines carried by the bore of .said hub intermediate its ends for co-operatingly engaging with the splined end of said pin; clip means projecting through the wall of said hub adjacent the free end thereof, whereby said pin is received by the bore of said handle when in one position by passing said clip means along said parallel sides and positioning the splines of said hub within said recess, thereby permitting said handle to be rotated to another position on said pin engaging said clip means with the splined end of said pin; and spring means between said housing and the base of said handle for holding said handle in operating position.

4. A door handle assembly for vehicle doors, including: a housing; a pin journaled by the housing and having one end portion thereof projecting outwardly therefrom, said one end portion having parallel sides and having radial splines on the remaining circumferential portions thereof defining an annular recess between said splines vand said housing, the diameter across said splines being greater than the distance between said parallel sides; latch releasing pawl means carried by said pin adjacent the end opposite said splines; a handle having a base and having a hub with a bore therein for receiving the splined end of said pin, said hub having transverse oppositely disposed cooperating slots through its wall intermediate its ends; a clip ring carried by said slots, said ring having arcuate end portions projecting inwardly of the wall of the bore of said hub; radial splines carried by the bore of said hub for co-operatingly engaging with the splines of said pin, the splines in said hub disposed between said slots and the bottom of said bore, the length of the splines in said bore being less than the width of said annular recess, whereby the bore of said hub receives the splned end of said pin by passing the arcuate end portions of said clip ring along said parallel sides, disposing the splines in said bore within said annular recess, thereby permitting said handle to be pivoted on said pin for re-engaging the splines of said hub with said splined pin; and means for maintaining the engagement of said splines.

5. Structure as specified in claim 4, in. which the means includes a helical expansion spring disposed between said housing and the base of said handle for urging the handle away from said housing and holding said clip ring adjacent the inner end of the splines on said. pin.

No references cited. 

